FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
About The Casuarina Small Business Loans
Tell me about the Casuarina Small Business Loans
Casuarina unsecured loans provides the range of $5,000 to $100,000, with terms ranging from 3 and 24 months and cash flow friendly repayments which can be made daily or weekly.
What is the Unsecured Loan different from a traditional company loan?
It is possible to apply to get the Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes via the internet or on the phone. You’ll receive a same day response and funds may be on your account within 24 hours. Traditional company loans reference an interest rate per annum as well as other fees and charges. The business loan is a cash-based loan so you will know in advance the total amount to be paid, including any interest, fees or charges. Then, it is broken down into a daily or weekly installment amount.
What could be the Small Business Loan be used for?
The Small Business Loan can be used for nearly any company use, including cash flow management, company improvements, advertising for purchasing inventory or new equipment, as general working capital and much more. The loan is not available for personal use.
About Larger Casuarina Business Loans
What is the Larger Casuarina Business Loan?
The Larger Business Loan is a larger size loan to aid in company expansion opportunities. Loans range between $100,000 and $500,000 with a term fixed with a maximum of 36 months. Repayments are weekly or fortnightly to work with your situation.
How’s the Origination Fee calculated?
The Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee that is determined at 2.5% of the amount of the loan.
Can I get the Larger Business Loan?
To qualify for a loan that is this large the business needs to be in operation for at least 3 years and have an annual turnover of at least $700,000. You must be a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) with a minimum age of 18 years old, own a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able to demonstrate at minimum 12 months of business.
What can the funds be used for?
A larger business loan can be used to fund almost every business need, including business renovations, purchase of inventory or new equipment, as general working capital and much more. The loan is not available for personal use.
Is the Larger Business Loan one that requires security?
Asset security is necessary to obtain funding above $150,000. It is usually by taking a charge against assets, which could also include registration in the PPSR or registering a caveat.
A director’s or personal ensure is a guarantee to pay back a loan that is generally in nature rather than stating security over a particular asset. The person who is signing the guarantee is personally accountable if the company the borrower fails to pay back the debt.
The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is a central, national online register operated by the New Zealand Government. It reflects security interests granted to individuals who own personal property (including the assets or goods). The PPSR gives the priority of personal property assigned according to the date the security interest that is registered.
A caveat is a legal form of document to provide notice of a legal claim against a property.
What exactly is a preapproval without Credit Check?
When you’re applying for larger company loans that exceeds $250,000 it’s possible to offer an initial pre-approval in order to ease the process. We could be able to make this decision without a credit check, and within 6 hours of your initial application. This pre-approval is made based on an initial assessment that includes answering a couple of financial health checks. It is in no way an offer, nor is it a guarantee of finance. Acceptance without condition is subject to an assessment of your creditworthiness and any offer you receive could be subject to different conditions.
Application process
Are I eligible for funding?
You may apply for a company loan if you
- are a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident)
- are over the age of 18 and have a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD)
- you must demonstrate at minimum 6 months’ worth of transactions (for you to qualify for unsecured loan $5K – $100K) or 3 years of continuous trading (for the Larger Business Loan $100K or $500K)
How do I apply?
The process for applying is fast and simple. Complete the online form within a couple minutes, and an experienced company lending specialist will call you to help you.
To be eligible for up to $100,000 you’ll require identification details (valid Driver’s Licence) as well as an NZBN/IRD that is valid and at least six months worth of bank statements.
Otherwise, for larger loan sizes, you’ll require:
$100K to $250K: Application requirements, including credit consent, 6-12 months of IRD statements, bank statements (if the loan is greater than $150K).
$250K – $500K: Information on the application including credit consent as well as 12 months of bank statements, IRD statement as well as the two most recent years’ financial statements, and interim financials for the current financial year including Aged Payables, Aged Receivables summaries.
How quickly will I receive an answer?
For an unsecured loan ($5K to $100K) we typically provide an answer within an hour – as long as you make your application in standard business times and allow us to utilise the bank verification system to instantly verify your bank information online. If you want to submit copies of your bank statement, we’ll offer a decision in as little as one company day.
If you are applying for a Larger Business Loan ($100K and up) we may be capable of offer the conditional pre-approval within about 6 hours. Once you’ve signed the pre-approval form, it will take about 2-3 days for final approval. However, this can be quicker based on the particular circumstances of each application. Some offers have been approved in 24 hours.
The quickest way to apply for you to apply is ensure you apply during normal business hours and allow us to use our advanced bank verification system to instantly verify your bank information online. If you send us duplicates of your banking statements , it takes a bit longer.
How soon will I receive the money?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K up to $100,000) we can often offer an answer within an hour, provided you make your application during normal business hours and let us use the bank verification system to immediately verify your bank account information online. If you choose to submit copies of your bank statements, we are able to offer the decision in just 1 business day.
For Larger Business Loans ($100K up to $500,000) we could be able to provide you with a conditional pre-approval in about six hours. Once you’ve signed the pre-approval, turnaround times are around 2-3 days for final approval, however it could be faster based on the circumstances of each application. Some agreements have been approved within 24 hours.
The most efficient method can be make sure you apply during standard business hours. Also, allow us to use our advanced bank verification system link to verify your bank account information online. If you choose to send us the copies of bank statement, it will take a little longer.
What is the maximum amount I can borrow?
We provide loans ranging from $5,000 and $500,000. When you submit an application for a specific amount we will consider a number of factors for determining the well-being of your company as well as the amount of repayments your company can afford. The amount you receive from your loan will be contingent on the specifics of your company.
If you apply for a set amount, we look at a range of variables to assess how much we can lend you such as well-being of the company and the extent of repayments that your company is able to afford. The total amount of your loan will be contingent on the particular circumstances that are unique to your business.
Fees & repayments
How much should you charge for a company loan?
When you apply for the business financing, we will assess the risk profile the company and provide you with a customised offer that includes loan amount, term and the interest rates. A business loan is an upfront priced loan so you will know the exact amount payable including any charges or interest.
What is the factor that determines the price I am charged?
Interest rates for business loans rates differ based on various factors such as the amount that is of money borrowed, the company assets the money are used to purchase in addition to the industry that the business operates in, the long the company has been running, what percentage of the business has enough cash flow to pay for the loan, and also the overall well-being or financial standing of the company.
What are the costs?
There aren’t any hidden charges for our business loans. You’ll know precisely how much it is that you be required to pay and when, from the very first day. There’s no compounding interest, and no extra fees (as long as you make your payments punctually).
We do not charge an application fee. You can make an application for loans absolutely no upfront cost and no obligation to proceed.
The Origination Fee is the cost associated with setting up and managing the loan. This is only a fee if you choose to proceed with the loan. The Origination Fee for us is 2.5% of the loan amount.
Can I pay out the loan earlier?
You may choose to pay back the entire amount of the loan in full at any time.
If you do decide to do this please talk to one of our helpful business loans experts. We will provide you with details on repayment as well as an early payout amount. The figure will be calculated as the sum of the principal balance and any accrued interest at the time of early payment and 1.5 percent of the remaining principal as well as any outstanding fees.
What is the process for repayments?
To help you avoid missing payment dates and to align with your cash flow cycle we provide repayments either daily or weekly. These are automatically withdrawn from the nominated business account.
Security & privacy
Will my data be protected?
The security of your personal information, as well as being upfront about how we collect the information we collect, use, share and secure your information, is of huge importance and an integral element of our relationship with you.
Is it safe to link my bank account to the platform?
Yes. We use industry recognised encryption protocols to safeguard your sensitive, personal and financial data and our funders are ISO 27001 certified for our commitment to the security of our clients as well as their security. We use an advanced bank verification system link to instantly confirm your bank account information online. This allows us to provide a fast response.
About business loans
What’s an asset-based borrow (a secured loan)?
The term "asset-based" refers to borrowing where a company owner utilises an asset that they own to secure a loan. The asset can be either an individual property, such as the family home or it could be a company asset such as a vehicle or piece of equipment.
The vast majority of lenders, not just the major banks, prefer to secure loans against assets. If you’re having trouble paying back the loan, the asset could be taken over by the lender. In essence, it is an opportunity to secure new funding making use of the value of what you already own.
Are I need security to get an company loan?
For loans of up to $150,000, no asset security is required upfront to access the money however, we require a personal guarantee. need the personal guarantee. So long as you comply with your loan commitments (as detailed in the loan contract) the security of assets is not needed. If you take out loans in excess of $150K generally, you are able to get personal ensure and security that is in the form an asset charge.